What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is an increasingly popular system of natural medicine, based on the principle that any substance that can cause illness can also be a cure. Two centuries old, its practice has enjoyed wide popularity among millions of individuals looking for safe and effective ways to treat illness, as well as to improve their health.

Homeopathy is based on the principle of "like cures like" – that is, if a substance can cause symptoms of disease in a healthy person then it can cure a sick person suffering from similar symptoms. For example, everyone knows that chopping an onion makes your eyes sting and water and your nose run and burn. A homeopathic preparation of the humble onion, Allium cepa, may be used to cure patients with a cold or hayfever if they too have stinging, watery eyes and a runny, burning nose.

How does the concept of homeopathy differ from that of conventional medicine?
The homeopath regards symptoms as the body’s healthy attempt to restore itself to balance. That is why a homeopath will choose a remedy that supports the symptoms – rather than opposing them or suppressing them as in conventional medicine. In conventional medicine, the cold or hayfever sufferer is given an antihistamine to dry up the runny nose and watery eyes artificially. Unpleasant side effects like sleepiness and constipation often result. With the correct homeopathic remedy, however, there are no side effects and a person is restored to health naturally with an attendant sense of well-being.

Homeopathy recognizes that each person manifests his or her dis-ease in a unique and slightly different way. That is why two people with the same diseases will not necessarily receive the same homeopathic remedy. A cold sufferer with a stopped up nose and dry eyes would receive a different remedy than the one with a runny nose and watering eyes. Unlike the "one size fits all" approach of to prescribing often used in conventional medicine, a homeopath chooses a remedy that matches the unique symptom profile of the individual.

Conventional wisdom seeks to control illness through the regular use of medications; if the medicine is withdrawn, the person’s symptoms return. For example, the daily use of drugs for asthma (or any chronic disease for that matter) alleviates the symptoms but does not cure the underlying problem.

In homeopathy the ideal is that a person needs just enough of the homeopathic remedy to stimulate their healing response. In other words, homeopathy sees to cure a person so that they do not need any medications – homeopathic or otherwise.

What is homeopathy’s history?
The principles of homeopathy were formulated by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843). Hahnemann found the conventional medical therapies of his time to be ineffective and harmful, and discovered, in homeopathy, a means to help patients without side effects. Homeopathy spread quickly throughout Europe and the rest of the world, including the United States. It has a 200-year history of safety and effectiveness.

What is "classical" homeopathy?
Over the last 200 years many definitions of "classical" homeopathy have been used. At the core of nearly all of theses definitions are the following key elements:

• The Law of Similars: matching the symptoms of a medicine tested on healthy humans to the individual seeking treatment.
• The Minimum Dose: determining the least amount of medicine needed to effect the needed change.
• Totality of Symptoms: matching the complete symptom profile of the patient to the symptom profile of the remedy.
• Single Remedy: administration of one remedy at a time.

What are combination remedies?
Some homeopathic products combine several different homeopathic medicines, each of which is known to be helpful for a certain condition, in the hope that the combination will contain the medicine needed by any individual with that condition. For example, a combination product for earaches might contain the five most frequently prescribed homeopathic remedies for earaches. These combination remedies are often safely and effectively used for simple acute conditions; however, they do not constitute classical homeopathy.

Tell me more about homeopathic medicines.
Homeopathic medicines are made according to a book of standards called the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS). The HPUS contains all of the information necessary for the proper identification of the raw materials used to make homeopathic medicines, as well as techniques for their manufacture and quality control. Homeopathic medicines area considered to be drugs under U.S. federal law, and the Food and Drug Administration regulates the manufacture, marketing, and sales of all homeopathic medicines.

Homeopathic medicines are derived from botanical (plant), mineral, and some animal sources. The process of preparing a crude substance and making it into a homeopathic medicine has two fundamental elements:

• Dilution of the substance in measured steps (serial dilution);
• Vigorous shaking or succussion of the preparation at each step.

Are homeopathic medicines safe?
Because of the minute doses used in homeopathy, the medicines are non-toxic. When properly administered, the medicines are completely safe for everyone including pregnant women, newborns, children, and adults through the senior years. Many veterinarians use homeopathy in the treatment of animals. There are no known or suspected contraindications or drug interactions between homeopathic and conventional medicines.

Are homeopathic medicines expensive?
Homeopathic medicines are much less expensive than conventional medicines, costing on average $4 - $7 per bottle. Sometimes only a single dose of a medicine is needed to effect a return to health. The medicines have extended shelf life and each medicine may be indicated for several different conditions.

When do I need to go to a professional homeopath?
Consumers can learn to treat simple first-aid and acute conditions effectively with the aid of homeopathic self-care books or by attending homeopathic classes, but serious, chronic conditions should always be treated by an experienced homeopathic practitioner.

Who practices homeopathy?
Homeopathy is practiced by a wide variety of healthcare practitioners, including medical doctors, osteopaths, naturopathic physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists, veterinarians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, nurse midwives, podiatrists, and professional homeopaths.

Individual states regulate the practice of homeopath, and each state’s laws and requirements for practice are different.

Since 2000, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and California have adopted legislation that allows unlicensed complementary and alternative health practitioners (including unlicensed homeopaths) the freedom to practice as long as they give full disclosure of their training and background. Efforts are underway in many other states to adopt similar legislation, and it is expected that more states will pass such laws in the near future.

What kind of homeopathic training and certification is there?
Independent post-graduate training programs offer professional education in homeopathy. Courses range in length from a weekend to several years. Learning experiences may be through correspondence courses, classroom lectures, and/or preceptorships with experienced homeopaths. In recent years, the Council on Homeopathic Education has begun certifying the content and structure of homeopathic courses.

Practitioners may be certified by one of several certifying organizations, based on their medical professional status and their homeopathic education. (See www.homeopathicdirectory.com, the website for the Council for Homeopathic Certification. This site links to the American Board of Homeotherapeutics, the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians, and the North American Society of Homeopaths, all of which are certifying organizations.) Certification attests that a practitioner has met certain criteria and developed a certain level of expertise in homeopathic practice.

A license to practice medicine does not guarantee that a practitioner is a good homeopath. Similarly, a well-trained homeopath may not be licensed to diagnose and treat patients medically. If you have questions about a specific category of practitioner or a particular practitioner’s certification, contact the certifying organization directly for more detailed information about the qualifications and standards they employ or for a list of practitioners they have certified.

What happens during a homeopathic consultation and what does it cost?
The first visit with a homeopath usually lasts one to two hours. During the visit, the homeopath will review the patient’s medical history and attempt to elicit a full picture of the patient’s symptoms – mental, emotional, and physical. A homeopathic medicine will be chosen to match the patient’s symptom profile. Scheduling of follow-up visits will vary depending on the needs of the patient and the practitioner’s philosophy; intervals of four to six weeks from the first visit are typical. A follow-up visit is shorter than the initial visit, normally lasting 30-60 minutes. The cost of a first visit to a homeopath varies greatly. It can range from $150 to $500, depending upon the skills and experience of the practitioner (and the economic health of the area from which the practice draws patients). Follow-up visits typically cost about one-third of the initial visit.

Will my health insurance cover it?
Your health insurance may cover part or all of your visits to a homeopathic practitioner if that practitioner has a medical or other health-care license (M.D., D.C., etc.). It is not likely to cover visits to an unlicensed practitioner, even if that homeopath is well-qualified and certified.

[Adapted from the National Center for Homeopathy, Homeopathy Today, February 2004.]